Question Response Document_1232SA26Q0931.pdf

Question and Answer Document

Refuse Removal Services

August 21, 2026

1. Lift/Servicing Mechanism: The SOW specifies container sizes, types, and quantities (Sections 8 and 9) but does not specify the required servicing/lift mechanism for the dumpsters — specifically, whether the containers must be compatible with hook-lift trucks or cable-hoist trucks. Could you confirm which lift configuration is required, or whether either configuration is acceptable, for the routine and will-call containers described in the SOW?

There is no required mechanism.

2. Can Front-Loader Equipment: Related to the above, our proposed subcontractor's collection fleet does not include front-loader trucks. Would the absence of front-loader equipment be an issue for servicing any of the containers described in the SOW, or is this only a concern if front-loader-specific containers are required?

See response to question 1.

3. Badging/Access Process for Subcontractor Personnel: Could you explain the process and expected timeline for obtaining facility security badges and any required PIV/background investigation credentials for subcontractor personnel who will need routine access to BARC to perform collection services? Specifically, we'd like to understand:

a. The upfront timeline to get a new subcontractor employee credentialed and able to access the site

We estimate 1 month.

b. Whether subcontractor personnel would require a daily escort once badged or are permitted unaccompanied routine access

Contract personnel with site badges do not require escort to work sites specified in the contract and site badge issuance.

c. Whether PIV credentials need to be renewed, reissued, or re-verified on any recurring basis

(e.g., annually) for the duration of a multi-year contract, and what that process involves

Reissuance is expected to take less time than originally, assuming no changes in OPM findings.

d. What happens operationally if a credentialed employee leaves and is replaced — how quickly can a new employee be badged so collection schedules aren't disrupted

See response to 3a.

4. We would like to know if this is a brand-new contract OR if there is (was) an incumbent performing these services. If not brand new, could you please provide the current / previous contract number and what the total contract value was?

Previous contract number is 12305B21C0020 with a total value of $2,183,511.00

5. Can the Government provide the past twelve (12) months of Will Call collection counts and tonnage by container type and site?

This information is not available.

6. May a prime contractor use the relevant experience and past performance of its proposed subcontractor to satisfy the technical evaluation requirements?

The Government may consider the experience and capabilities of a proposed subcontractor when the entity is identified in the quotation, the experience or capability being relied upon is clearly described, and the entity is proposed to perform the corresponding area of work. The

Prime Contractor remains responsible for meeting all solicitation requirements.

7. May the required Maryland scrap tire license and Scrap Tire Hauler registration be held by the performing subcontractor, or must the prime contractor independently hold them?

It would need to be held by the subcontractor.

8. Is attendance at the August 19, 2026, site visit required to submit a responsive quotation or is attendance optional?

Attendance is optional.

9. Will another site visit be scheduled.

No.

10. May the containers and equipment be owned and supplied by the subcontractor if they are properly marked with the prime contractor’s name or logo and otherwise comply with the

Statement of Work?

Yes

11. How much of the material is considered biohazardous and what is their pickup frequency?

Autoclaving and incineration prevent collection of biohazardous materials by contractor.

Formerly biohazardous refuse is marked and segregated in specific containers. Collection frequency will depend on dynamic Agency needs.

Since March 2026 contractor has collected <9cy of incinerator ash, and sixteen (16) 6 cubic yards of Autoclave waste

12. For the BIOHAZARD- what are the container counts for these materials and their container sizes?

See response to question 11.

13. Will the Government provide site-visit notes, questions and answers, photographs, or other information to prospective offerors that could not attend the August 19 site visit?

No

14. The SOW identifies five 8-cubic-yard cardboard containers maintained onsite, while the pricing schedule estimates ten 8-cubic-yard will-call collections. Please confirm that the quoted unit price should represent ten estimated collections annually.

Quote must price 10 collections annually for the 8 cubic yard containers (5 containers emptied

2 times each).

15. Is the contractor responsible for providing and installing the 20-cubic-yard compactor? If so, please clarify any electrical, installation, maintenance, and removal responsibilities.

Yes, 240 VAC @ 60Amps

16. Should disposal and tipping fees, fuel charges, container delivery/removal, and all other associated costs be incorporated into the firm-fixed unit prices?

Yes.

17. Statement of Work Section 8 sets out routine collection frequencies which, multiplied by the container counts in the same table, total 111 collections per week. Contract line item 0001 describes "Refuse Removal Services - Fixed price to include the rental of 82 containers and the weekly collection of 52 containers in accordance with the SOW." Fifty-two is the number of routine containers in the Section 8 table, not the number of collections the table requires.

CLIN 0001 should be a fixed price for the monthly rental of 82 containers (sizes described in the tables) and the cost for weekly routine pickups in accordance with section 8 of the SOW.

18. Information from the site visit indicated that the autoclave containers and potentially several of the 30 cubic yard open top containers are serviced on a recurring schedule rather than on call.

The requirement has not changed. Please refer to section 8 and 9 of the SOW.

19. The routine collection frequencies in Statement of Work Section 8 govern, and the Government requires approximately 111 routine collections per week.

Please refer to section 8 of the SOW.

20. Alternatively, the description at contract line item 0001 governs, and Statement of Work Section

8 will be conformed to it by amendment.

21. Will the Government publish a corrected count?

22. The autoclave containers listed in Statement of Work Section 9 are serviced on a recurring schedule. If so, the Government will state the frequency and confirm whether that service is priced within contract line item 0001 or under contract line item 0003.

The requirement has not changed. Please refer to section 8 and 9 of the SOW and the price schedule in Attachment 1.

23. Some or all of the ten 30 cubic yard containers listed in Statement of Work Section 9 are serviced on a recurring schedule. If so, the Government will identify which containers, state the frequency for each, and confirm whether that service is priced within contract line item 0001 or under contract line item 0005.

24. The corrected requirement will be issued by amendment before quotes are due, so that all quoters price the same work?

25. The unit of issue "EA" at contract line items 0002 through 0006 means one collection.

26. Alternatively, "EA" means one container, and the Government will explain how those quantities relate to the container rental already included in contract line item 0001.

See response to question 25.

27. The fixed monthly price at contract line item 0001 includes rental of all 82 containers, including the 30 Will Call containers that remain in place between collection

See response to question 17.

28. The estimated quantities in the schedule of items represent the Government’s best estimate of annual requirements, and quoters may rely on them for pricing.

29. The Government will state how work performed in excess of the estimated quantities during a period of performance will be ordered and paid.

No additional work will be performed without written authorization from the contracting officer.

30. The Government will provide the monthly tonnage or weight ticket records for the most recent twelve months, broken out by refuse stream and by site. Existing Government copies are sufficient and no new compilation is requested.

See response to question 5.

31. If tonnage reporting was not required under the predecessor contract, the Government will provide the predecessor contractor’s monthly invoiced quantities in whatever form the

Government maintains them.

See response to question 5.

32. The Government will provide the actual number of collections performed during the most recent twelve months for each Statement of Work Section 9 container type, including incinerator ash, autoclaved trash, cardboard, construction debris, and tires.

33. The Government will provide the actual routine collection frequency currently performed, by container size and by site.

34. The Government will identify the disposal facilities currently used for each refuse stream.

35. The Government does not anticipate closure, consolidation, realignment, or a reduction in the refuse requirement at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, the National Agricultural

Library, or the U.S. National Arboretum during the base period or any option period.

Unknown

36. If a change of that kind is anticipated, the Government will state what is known about the timing and the expected effect on container counts and collection frequencies.

See response to question 35.

37. Reduction in the number of containers or collection points during a period of performance would be addressed by bilateral modification with an equitable adjustment to the fixed monthly price.

See response to question 35.

38. The Government anticipates that incinerator ash generation will cease and will state the anticipated date.

Unknown.

39. Quoters are nonetheless to price contract line items 1002, 2002, 3002, and 4002 at the estimated quantities shown.

40. The Government will confirm whether the incinerator producing that ash is expected to cease operation, and whether any other refuse stream at the site would change as a result.

Unknown

41. The two incinerator ash containers remain in place, and are rented under contract line item

0001, after ash generation ends, or will be removed.

42. Contract line item 0001 is invoiced in twelve equal monthly amounts.

43. Statement of Work Section 9 collections are invoiced as performed rather than monthly in arrears.

Monthly.

44. The Government will state what documentation must accompany an invoice, including whether weight tickets or the Will Call notification emails required by Statement of Work Section 9 are required as invoice support.

45. Sections 11 and 12 will be provided by amendment

46. Alternatively, no Sections 11 and 12 exist and the numbering will be corrected.

47. No containers or compactors currently in service at any of the three sites are Government property.

See section 4 of the SOW.

48. All 82 containers are to be furnished by the successor contractor, new or in serviceable condition, and marked with the awardee logo as required by Statement of Work Section 4.

49. The Government will state the standard it applies in determining whether a container is serviceable under Statement of Work Section 7, and who makes that determination.

50. Transfer stations, materials recovery facilities, and energy from waste facilities are acceptable destinations for the streams to which they apply, notwithstanding the landfill language at

Statement of Work Sections 4 and 6.

See section 6 of the SOW.

51. Refuse generated at the U.S. National Arboretum may be delivered to a permitted facility in the

District of Columbia or another jurisdiction, rather than being required to move to a Maryland sanctioned facility.

52. Permitted facilities located outside Maryland are acceptable for material generated at the

Beltsville sites.

53. Cardboard collected under contract line item 0004 may be delivered to a recycling processor rather than a landfill.

54. The Statement of Work will be amended to state the disposal requirement by stream.

55. Soiled animal bedding is placed in the routine front load containers listed at Statement of Work

Section 8. If so, the Government will identify the buildings and container sizes involved.

56. Soiled animal bedding is placed in the 30 cubic yard open top containers listed at Statement of

Work Section 9. If so, the Government will identify the locations and the approximate frequency.

57. Where animal bedding is generated, the Government will state whether it is autoclaved or otherwise treated before it is placed in a container, and whether it originates from animals used in research involving biological agents, radiological material, or chemical agents.

58. The Government will state the approximate weight or volume of animal bedding generated per week, and whether it is bagged before placement in the container.

59. Apart from the six refuse types defined at Statement of Work Section 5, no other material is placed in the routine front load containers or the open top containers. If other material is placed in them, the Government will identify it.

The requirement has not changed. Please refer to the SOW.

60. No free liquid, sludge, soil, greenhouse growing media, or laboratory chemical waste is placed in any container serviced under this contract.

61. The Government will state whether any container is used for material requiring a special waste profile at the receiving facility, other than the incinerator ash addressed at Question 12.

62. Needles, syringes, scalpel blades, and other regulated sharps are expressly excluded from the autoclave Will Call containers.

63. Glassware placed in those containers is required to be in rigid, puncture resistant primary containment before bagging.

64. The Government will identify who is responsible for defacing or obscuring the biohazard marking if a disposal facility requires it as a condition of acceptance.

65. The Government will state whether the material is currently delivered to a disposal facility under an approved special waste profile, and will identify the facility.

66. A load rejected at a disposal facility gate is not a missed collection within the meaning of the twenty-four hour requirement at Statement of Work Section 7, and the Government will state how the contractor is to proceed.

67. The Agricultural Research Service is the generator of record for incinerator ash, and the contractor’s obligation is transport and disposal

68. The Government holds a current special waste profile for this material with a disposal facility, and will identify the facility and provide the profile.

69. Analytical characterization data for the ash exists and will be provided, including any toxicity characteristic leaching procedure results.

70. If no profile or characterization data exists, the Government will state which party is responsible for obtaining it and bearing the cost

71. The Government will state how the ash is presented for collection, whether bagged, drummed, or loose in the container

72. Escorted access, temporary credentials, or a visitor badge process is available to allow collections to proceed while permanent credentials are pending, and the Government will describe it.

73. The Government will state the current processing time from sponsorship to credential issuance, whether fingerprinting is performed on site, and the earliest date on which the incoming contractor may submit personnel for processing.

See the response to question 3a.

74. Escort support, where required, is provided at no cost to the contractor, and the Government will state expected availability and typical wait times.

75. The Government will provide the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center Security Office requirements document referenced at Statement of Work Section 6.

76. The Government will identify each container location requiring a key or code, state who issues them, how many are provided, and the process for replacement

77. The Government will state the method by which proof of citizenship or permanent residency is to be transmitted, and to whom.

78. site specific badge is available for drivers as an alternative to a USDA LincPass

79. Wage Determination 2015-4281, Revision 37, is the operative determination as of the closing date, and is the only determination applicable to performance at all three sites including the U.S.

National Arboretum

The requirement has not changed. Please refer to Attachment 1.

80. The Government will complete the employee class table at FAR 52.222-42 by amendment, identifying the classifications it expects to be employed under this contract.

81. Because FAR 52.222-62 is incorporated, the health and welfare rate applicable to this contract is

$5.09 per hour, together with the paid sick leave obligation

82. No collective bargaining agreement covers the incumbent workforce performing this requirement

83. The Government will state its anticipated award date.

84. Container placement may begin before the start of performance, and the Government will state the earliest date it may begin

85. Mobilization, including placement of all containers and any compactor, is included in the fixed monthly price at contract line item 0001, and no separate line item applies

86. The Government will state the sequence and timing for removal of the predecessor contractor’s containers relative to placement of the successor’s containers, and confirm which party coordinates it

87. The Government will consider incorporating FAR 52.237-3, Continuity of Services

88. No quality assurance surveillance plan or deduction schedule applies to this requirement. If one applies, the Government will provide it.

89. The performance standards are limited to those stated in the Statement of Work, and the

Government will identify any additional standard it intends to apply.

90. The Government will identify any recurring report or deliverable required during performance, including format and frequency.

The requirement has not changed. Please refer to Attachment 1 and the SOW.

91. The Government will state any page limit, font, margin, or format requirement for the technical, relevant experience, past performance, and price responses

92. The Government will state the maximum total email attachment size its system will accept, the preferred number of separate files, and any file naming convention

25mb

93. The Government will acknowledge receipt of a quote by reply email

94. A signed Standard Form 1449 must be returned with the quote.

95. FAR 52.212-3 representations and certifications are satisfied by reference to the quoter’s active registration in the System for Award Management, and full text submission is not required

96. AGAR 452.203-70 requires a separately signed certification returned with the quote

97. Pricing is to be submitted on the Attachment 1 Schedule of Items rather than on the Standard

Form 1449 continuation sheets

Please refer to the price schedule in attachment 1.

98. The Government will state the quote acceptance period required

The response date has not changed. Please refer to Attachment 1.